Medical Alert: Victorian Disease TB Surges, Threatening Young Brits' Mobility
A prominent medical professor has issued a stark warning that England is on the brink of losing its classification as a "low-incidence" tuberculosis (TB) nation. Official data reveals a concerning 13% increase in cases during 2024, with this upward trend continuing throughout the first three quarters of 2025.
Young Lives at Risk: Severe Cases and Paralysis
Professor Onn Min Kon has highlighted that "productive young people in the prime of their lives" are being disproportionately and severely impacted by this resurgent disease. Disturbingly, some patients have been left unable to walk or even paralysed due to advanced infections that were not caught early.
While pulmonary TB affecting the lungs is most common, the professor emphasised the danger of "extra-pulmonary" TB. This form can attack the spine, leading to devastating and life-altering consequences. Although spinal TB constitutes less than 10% of total cases, the associated financial costs and long-term rehabilitation needs are profound.
Coventry Outbreak and Pandemic 'Carryover' Effect
This urgent health warning follows a recent outbreak at an Amazon warehouse in Coventry, where 10 employees tested positive for the condition. The incident prompted union representatives to call for the temporary closure of the facility on safety grounds, underscoring the disease's potential to disrupt workplaces and communities.
Medical experts suggest that the increased severity of recent TB cases may be a "carryover" effect from the pandemic period. During the height of COVID-19, many individuals attributed persistent chronic coughs to the coronavirus, inadvertently allowing infectious TB to progress to much more advanced and dangerous stages before diagnosis.
England Nears 'Medium Incidence' Status
England is now perilously close to crossing the World Health Organisation's threshold for designation as a "medium incidence" country. This shift would place the nation in the same category as countries like Albania, Romania, and Egypt for the first time this century, marking a significant regression in public health standing.
Often historically referred to as "consumption" during the Victorian era, tuberculosis was once widely considered a relic of the past. However, healthcare professionals stress that the disease never fully disappeared and is now resurfacing with renewed vigour in areas previously deemed low-risk.
Funding Cuts and High-Risk Environments
Professor Kon pointed out that global efforts to control TB have been severely hampered by major international funding cuts. The withdrawal of specific programmes, such as the crucial USAID scheme, has made it increasingly difficult to manage and contain drug-resistant variants of the disease.
Specific environments remain persistent hotspots for transmission:
- Prisons
- Homeless populations
The disease spreads through prolonged close contact in enclosed spaces, leading experts to call for more consistent and extended screening programmes in these at-risk settings.
Significant Financial Burden on the NHS
Addressing the rising tide of tuberculosis has placed a substantial financial strain on the UK's healthcare system. It is estimated that managing the disease has cost the NHS over £175 million in just the last five years, highlighting the extensive economic impact alongside the human cost.
The combination of rising case numbers, severe health outcomes for young adults, and significant NHS expenditure underscores the urgent need for renewed public health focus and resource allocation to combat this historic disease's modern resurgence.
